Island



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. BOWEN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

WIND-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,611, dated July 5, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. BOWEN, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Vind-Engine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical section of my invention taken in the line 5c, cc, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a front View of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a series of horizontal pivoted sails placed in a frame, having certain mechanism connected with them, and arranged as hereinafter shown, whereby the wind in acting upon the sails is made to give, in connection with the weights or springs, either or both, a reciprocating movement to the device and a very simple and efficient engine obtained for transmitting power by the action of the wind.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a sill-piece or block in which a horizontal shaft B, is placed transversely, said shaft having an upright shaft C, attached to it at right angles, the shaft B, being fitted loosely in the sill-piece so that the shaft C, may oscillate or move freely back and forth. To the shaft C, a frame D, is attached in which a series of horizontal sails E, are fitted and work on pivots or journals a, a, and to the journals a, rods F, are attached by arms Z9, the lower ends of said rods being attached to a bent lever Gr, the fulcrum pin c, of which is attached to the lower part of the upright shaft C. To the upper end of the bent lever Gr, a link H, is attached by a pivot. c, and the upper end of a spring I, which is attached to the sillpiece A, is fitted in the link H, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

To the lower part of the frame D, a weight J, is attached by a cord CZ, said cord passing over a pulley e, and to the end of the shaft B, opposite to that where the shaft C, is attached, a spring K, is connected, said spring in conjunction with the weight J, having a tendency to draw the frame D, toward the wind.

To the sill piece A, an inclined plate or bar L, is attached and the upper end of this plate or bar is bent over at right angles to its main part forming a curved guide f, over and under which a friction roller f', works, which roller is at the end of the lower part of the lever G.

The operation is as follows :-Vhen the sails E, are in a closed state, the frame is in the position shown in red Fig. 1, the direction of the wind being indicated by the red arrow. The sails in consequence of the resistance they offer to the wind will be moved together with the frame in the direction of the red arrow and to the position shown in black and brown tint, and when the frame and sails reach such position the front edge of the link H, will come in contact with the spring rod I, and the lever G, will be actuated and through the medium of the rods F, and arms b, will turn the sails edgewise to the wind and the weight J, in connection with spring K, will draw the frame and sails back to their original position, the sails when the frame D, reaches the position as shown in red Fig. 1, being closed or exposed to the wind in consequence of the back part of the link being retained by the spring rod and thereby actuating the lever G, so that the latter will, through the medium of the rods F, turn the sails. The roller f, works over and under the guide f, and prevents the casual turning of the sails.

From the above description it will be seen that the device operates with an oscillating or reciprocating movement and the power may consequently be applied in a very direct manner to machinery having a reciprocating movement.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The frame D, provided with sails E, and attached to the shaft O, in connection with the bent lever G, connected with the sails by the rods F, and arms b, the link H, spring rod I, and the weight J, and spring K, or their equivalents, the whole being arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY W. BOWEN.

IVitnesses F. H. BOWEN, MARY A. SowLE. 

